We recommend: A list of naturally lovely reads
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Editor’s note: Nature writing can often be like nature documentaries. There’s a bunch of it around—and not all are worth your time. But when done right, it can delight like no other. Here’s the team’s list of books about nature—spread across genres. Meet Marcellus the octopus, revel in Sarojini Naidu’s songs of nature—and take a walk on the wild side of the Indian coastline. PS: We put this list together in response to a request from our subscriber Monica. If you want to send in your suggestion, please add it to this form.
Some fiction picks
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt: Amusing and heartfelt in equal measure, this 2022 debut is set at an aquarium in the Pacific Northwest and is perfect for any reader with an eye for the fantastical when it comes to our ocean’s mysteries. After all, it features a talking octopus named Marcellus, who plays detective to help our main character seek answers or gain some closure.
Running Wild by KA Tucker: The fourth instalment in Tucker’s Alaska-based Simple Wild series focuses on a veterinarian at a crossroads. It remains true to the no-frills romance of its predecessors, combining the flirting with vividly immersive descriptions of the local sled dog race and the region as a whole.
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata: Set in a tiny mountain town in Colorado, this 2023 novel revels in the slow-burn development of its main characters, as it uses trek after trek to depict the evolution of a new friendship into something more romantic. You may get lost in the details but that’s a feature not a bug of Zapata’s work here.
The poetry pick
Songs of Nature by Sarojini Naidu: You know her as a key figure in India’s independence movement, a women’s suffragist, a Governor and the ‘Nightingale of India’ due to her romantic and political poetry. But you may not be as well-versed with Naidu’s nature-focused poetry. That’s where this compilation comes in handy—featuring an introduction from Edmund Gosse, a significant supporter of her work at the time. ‘Ecstasy’, ‘Champak Blossoms’ and ‘Leili’ are the standout offerings here, as Naidu masters the arts of brevity and simplicity.
Non-fiction worth checking out
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: This book is for anyone who is interested in a deep dive into the mesmerising world of botany. Botanist Robin Kimmerer—who is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, a Native American tribal region recognised by the US government—uses the ecological knowledge and sensibility passed down to her to produce a compassionate writing on plants.
Superpowers On The Shore by Sejal Mehta: Mumbai coast has beautiful and abundant life—away from the city lights—in the depth of its seas. Written almost like a children’s book, you get introduced to species like solar-powered slugs, escape-artist octopuses, venomous jellies, harpooning conus sea snails! Author Sejal Mehta gives each of the species mentioned a superpower which makes it a book of curious sea creatures facts and super fun to read!
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty: This nature guide won the Wainwright Prize in 2020, and chronicles the world of Dara McAnulty—who was a teenager when we wrote this book. He is also autistic. The book takes us through the flora and fauna in his backyard in Mourne Mountains in County Down, Ireland—as well as the natural world in his head which he profoundly jots into poems.
Greatly beloved non-fiction faves
Book of Nature by Ruskin Bond: For most of us, Bond was our earliest introduction to nature writing in and about India. ‘Book of Nature’ is a collection of some of his best works about nature, both in fiction short stories and non-fiction essays. From his grandfather’s menagerie to tales of leopards in Mussoorie, and even the fury of nature through earthquakes–the soothing tone of the writing makes it just the kind of book to curl up with on a lazy afternoon.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson: This 1997 release by Bryson is as much about encountering nature as a human experience, as it is about nature itself. His hike along the 2,100 km Appalachian Trail is funny at the outset, but also has some lovely paragraphs about observing forests and lakes, and a life-changing meeting with a moose. Bonus recommendation: there is also a movie with the same name, starring Robert Redford, but we suggest reading the book first.
All Creatures Great and Small by James Harriot: In this book, we follow a young James Herriot who is a veterinarian and his journey to the nooks and crannies of Yorkshire countryside almost 40 years ago—treating pets, livestock and basically all creatures big and small. The accounts range from hilarious encounters to heartbreaking and sad but maintain a hopeful beat.
